Face masks stop and search

Unmesh Desai: Are officers required to wear face masks when conducting stop and searches?

The Mayor: The most effective protection from infection is social distancing of at least two metres from members of the public. Officers should expect that they may need to don PPE quickly in some situations and therefore it should be readily available.
If officers make an active decision to intervene and be within two metres of a member of the public they should wear a protective face mask.

s60 [1]

Andrew Dismore: There appear to have been a growing number of s60 directions issued in Camden, including a number authorised by an acting inspector, i.e. a substantive sergeant. Do you consider it is appropriate for a relatively junior officer to make s60 directions affecting all or a large part of a borough?

The Mayor: Section 60 stops and searches are a useful tool when used properly and any use of police powers must be proportionate and accountable. Section 60 orders have to be authorised by an Inspector and for added assurance these authorisations are reviewed by senior management. There has been an increase recently in their use in response to rising violence, but it is important to note we are nowhere near the huge numbers seen back in 2008/09 where there were ten times as many section 60 stop and searches as now.

Recruitment of Police Officers from Outside of London (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Can you please provide details of the number of police recruits to the Met since the re-introduction of recruiting officers from outside of London in November 2018, broken down by a) month, and b) recruits from within London and outside.

The Mayor: Please find the table below showing PC (volume) recruits who joined the MPS since November 18 and whether they reside inside or outside London.
Month of Joining
Recruits Within
			London
Recruits
Outside
			London
No Data
			Available
Total
(PC Volume recruits)
Nov-18
150
35
3
188
Dec-18
52
6
58
Jan-19
220
35
4
259
Feb-19
160
11
18
189
Mar-19
187
22
19
228
Apr-19
95
17
3
115
May-19
120
21
5
146
Jun-19
122
57
7
186
Jul-19
87
59
4
150
Aug-19
154
103
257
Sep-19
194
144
2
340
Oct-19
175
187
1
363
Nov-19
248
201
6
455
Jan-20
213
209
13
435
Feb-20
180
157
6
343
Mar-20
162
168
1
331
Apr-20
168
166
10
344
May-20
178
168
1
346
Total
2,865
1,766
103
4,734
Note: ‘London’ is those residing within a London Borough ‘No data available’ is either it is not recorded on PSOP or the individual has chosen not to have it recorded on PSOP. (PSOP is the MPS HR database). There is typically no recruitment in December, with a larger intake in January.

Londoners released under investigation after protests

Siân Berry: After the section 14 order issued by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), which covered the time from9 pm on Monday 14 October to 6 pm on Friday 18 October, was ruled unlawful, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) acted immediately to drop the cases of people arrested under the order. Have all the people the MPS released under investigation (RUI) following arrest under the unlawful order now: a) had this status rescinded, and b) been contacted to tell them that their status has been rescinded?

The Mayor: The MPS has confirmed that those arrested for a section 14 offence only will have no further action taken in their case and they have been informed of this. They are no longer recorded as released under investigation on MPS systems. A number of people will have been arrested for more than one offence and where the evidence for this meets the threshold they will be prosecuted for that offence(s).

s60 [2]

Andrew Dismore: How many s60 directions have been given affecting a) Camden and b) Barnet in each of the last 3 months; in each case, what was the rank of the officer authorising them; and for the equivalent period last year, how many s60 directions were there in each borough?

The Mayor: Section 60 stops and searches are a useful tool when used properly. Any use of police powers must be proportionate and accountable. Section 60 orders have to be authorised by an Inspector and for added assurance these authorisations are reviewed by senior management.
There has been an increase recently in response to rising violence, but it is important to note we are nowhere near the huge numbers seen back in 2008/09 where there were ten times as many Section 60 stop and searches as now.
The attached file shows the Section 60 authorisations during the three-month periods. It shows that when comparing 2019 with 2020 Barnet has seen a reduction whilst Camden has seen a small increase.

Police use of excessive force on disabled Londoners

Siân Berry: A constituent has raised an incident in which a young Black Londoner with brittle bone disease, Oliver Charles-Christian, spent five days in hospital following contact with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), where it appears an officer tipped them out of their wheelchair. Will you look into this case as a matter of urgency?

The Mayor: I am concerned to hear of any incident such as this where an individual feels their duty of care has not been apparent and the obvious distress that this has caused.
Anybody who feels they have not been treated in a proper manner by MPS officers are encouraged to submit a formal complaint to the MPS. Allegations are then investigated to determine whether there had been any improper conduct on the part of any of the officers involved, with a range of possible sanctions, where wrongdoing is identified.
I have asked the MPS for information and they have confirmed that this incident is subject to a formal complaint which was referred by the MPS to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The IOPC reviewed the matter who passed it back to the MPS for a local investigation. The investigating officer has made contact with the complainant and the investigation is being progressed in accordance with due process. Should the complainant not be content with the outcome of the complaint, he will be provided the option of a review by MOPAC.